5. The Chapter about Need (PDHP65-83)

Patna Dhammapada

5. The Chapter about Need

Friends are good whenever need arises, at the break-up of life merit is good,

being content with everything is good, the abandoning of all wickedness is good.

Respecting one’s mother is good in the world, also respecting one’s father is good,

respecting ascetics is good in the world, also respecting true brahmins is good.

Virtuous conduct till old age is good, the establishing of faith is good,

speech that is beneficial is good, the destruction of conceit is good.

The arising of the Buddhas is good, the teaching of the Dhamma is good,

the harmony of the Saṅgha is good, devotion to harmony is good.

Meeting with the noble is pleasant, living with good people is pleasant,

through not meeting foolish people one will constantly be happy.

For he who consorts with fools grieves for a long time,

dwelling with fools is always suffering as it is with enemies,

the wise ones dwell happily as with an assembly of kin.

Therefore the firm and the learned, the virtuous, dutiful and noble—

follow such a true and intelligent person as the moon follows the course of the stars.

From love there arises grief, with love grief, with love fear,

for one who is free from love there is no grief, how is there fear?

Do not associate at any time with those who are loved or with those unloved,

there is suffering not meeting the loved one, and suffering from meeting the unloved one.

Therefore do not hold anything as loved, for speaking of the loved is loathsome.

There are no knots for those who hold nothing as loved or as unloved.

Hunger is the supreme sickness, conditions are the supreme suffering,

knowing this as it really is, know Nibbāna is the supreme good.

Health is the supreme gain, content the supreme wealth,

confidence the supreme kin, Nibbāna the supreme good.

If, by renouncing a small good, he might see a good that is large,

the wise one should renounce that small good, seeing the good that is extensive.

For a human who is always mindful, knowing the measure in food received,

his painful feelings become slight, he ages slowly, guarding his lifespan.

A person of good breed is rare, that one is not born everywhere,

wherever that hero is born, that family gains happiness.

There are surely true people everywhere, the good do not talk of desiring sense-pleasures;

when touched by pleasure or by suffering, true people are not elated or depressed.

The victor generates hatred, the defeated one finds suffering,

the one at peace lives happily, having abandoned victory and defeat.

Pleasant are rivers with good fords, pleasant is the person conquered by Dhamma,

the acquisition of faith is good, doing nothing wicked is good.

It is pleasant to meet the virtuous, it is pleasant to meet the learned,

it is pleasant to meet the Worthy Ones, who are free from attachments.

The Chapter about Need